ANIMAL KINGDOM (Australia 2010) ***** Top 10
Directed by David Michod

At one important point in the film ANIMAL KINGDOM, a senior police officer, Leckie (Guy Pearce) tells the teen, Josh he is hoping to save (James Frecheville) of survival in the ANIMAL KINGDOM.  The strong help the weak, implying Josh to be weak and that his strong family is not that strong much longer to help him.  This is where the title of the movie comes from.

But under closer reflection of this talk, it appears that Leckie, all good intentioned, has underestimated the strength of Josh’s family.  It is his grandmother’s will that saves him and the family.  Such is the brilliance of director Michold’s own script that often borders on the brink of genius in insight and subtlety.  At another point in the movie, a family member mentions that women are not all there and they need to ‘natter’. The camera steals a shot of the grandmother’s look, who the audience assumes silently accepts for the while.

The trouble starts when Josh’s mother dies of a heroine overdose.  Underaged at 18 and not knowing what to do, grandmother Janine (Jacki Weaver) takes him in.  It soon becomes apparent the reason Josh’s mother had kept him apart from the rest of the family.  This is a very dangerous family with a life long feud with the local cops.  When a family member is killed by the cops, an all out war begins with Josh caught in the middle.

Director Michod blends in drama and suspense brilliantly.  It is only after a third of the movie when he introduces the audience to the most frightening member of the family, Uncle Pope (Ben Mendelsohn).  The casting is perfect.  Pudgy, insecure looking, his looks compliment the behaviour of what is seen as a very insecure and therefore violent man.  But what is hidden in an apparent crime caper is the more human story of a teen growing up.  Frecheville is flawless as the good-looking teen forced to re-consider his options when his family kills off his girlfriend.

But what is most brilliant about the script is what is left out.  At the end, the police lawyer briefs Josh on what to say to convict his uncles.  But the uncles are acquitted with the audience wondering whether Josh betrayed his family or not.  (The ending does make it all clear.) A great scene too, is the chance meeting of the grandmother and the cop Leckie at the local supermarket and the conversation that goes on between both.

Once in a blue moon comes unexpectedly a great film out of nowhere.  ANIMAL KINGDOM is such a film.  Brilliantly written, directed and acted with a keen camera eye and a subtle sense of humour, ANIMAL KINGDOM is a thoroughly entertaining piece of work about a teen’s coming-of-age in a realistic Melbourne setting.  A definite MUST-SEE!